Victoria Memorial, the pride of Calcutta

Victoria Memorial, the pride of Calcutta

The grand memorial to the queen

No other building can claim to represent the totality of the east-Indian megacity of Calcutta as much vividly as Victoria Memorial does. One of the best examples of traditional British architecture decorated with alternate Conthian pillars, the gigantic building now serves as a major tourist attraction in the city. It’s flowered gardens continue to blossom with the change of seasons, and its dual lakes and grounds never cease to provide us Calcuttans a moment of respite to free our minds of worries.

Her Royal Majesty the Queen

Overlooking the vast grounds of Maidan or more popularly, the Gorer Maath, Victoria Memorial is easily the most beautiful and celebrated structure in the locality. Especially from the Maidan, we can get a clean and vivid view of the lustrous marble structure. The gates are heavily guarded and you will need to buy tickets to access the interior, but even drinking in the beauty of the building from outside is great, and it’s free. ;)

Tickets are laughingly cheap for Indian residents, but not the other way around. You can get a garden pass for ₹4 only, and a complete visiting ticket (that would allow you to enter the museum inside it) is just ₹10. But if you’re a foreigner, then things would be a little costlier. ₹150 for all foreigners, which is a little less than 3 US Dollars.

Bathed by afternoon light of the Sun

After checking in with the sentry, we got into the central complex surrounding the building. Pathways and pavements are surprisingly clean and well-maintained. Everything is at its best, to be honest. On both sides of the main pathway, we see two enormous lakes, clean and dazzling with the light of the sun. At any time of the day, more than 50 tourists can be seen sitting on the gigantic marble steps leading to the main gate of Victoria. Photography is permitted outside the memorial, but mind you, NOT INSIDE.

Once inside, we are greeted by flawlessly carved marble statues of Queen Victoria and other prominent Englishmen who once helped the royal crown rule India. The central hall of the museum houses the massive life-sized (a bit more, actually) statue of the Queen. At each corner of the central hall, we come across a wide range of different weapons used at that time, organized neatly with labels. A model of a nineteenth century British ship proudly decorates the right side of the Queen. On the four sides of the central hall, there are galleries housing paintings  weapons, photographs and statues, which do a good job mentally transporting you to that time, a time when India was ruled by the British crown. The back-left side houses a nicely decorated art gallery, a storehouse of magnificent paintings many of which had been washed and recovered later. The front-left side is especially impressive, with a multitude of marble statues of British Lords and Generals, such as Lord Dalousie, Lord Wellesly and their kinds.

The backside of Victoria

The view from the first floor (in the British sense) of the building is superb. I don’t know if photography is allowed there, but people were ceaselessly taking shots to make the moment memorable. 

One thing is often said about Victoria Memorial, you will find the outside more pleasing than the inside. This is right, in my opinion. After taking a tour of the entire collection, you should immediately consider walking around the building through the flowered gardens for at least an hour. Benches and seats are neatly provided, so that you can drink in the moment and savour its taste. For us amateur photographers and poets, the environment is perfect. Greenery and flowers mark the way, and a soothing breeze from the lakes tickles and tousles your hair as you make your way.


The other side of Victoria, the side opposite to the central gate, is especially marvellous. Deodar trees decorate twin sides of the road, and a massive gate stands welcoming us to the memorial. Atop the gate stands a neatly designed statue of King Edward VII, if I remember correctly.

The grand dome surrounded by pillars resembles the Taj Mahal

Throughout the garden, we come across multiple statues and figures, of celebrated personalities. The statue of Lord Bentinck is especially life-like. Other little guys we may hope to meet include squirrels and small birds. It’s an ideal place to lay down your pen and notebook and relax a couple of minutes under a canopy, and then savour the sight of the marble building next to you while composing a poem or two. If you’re a photography-enthusiast, lose no time and shoot as many digital photos as you can. If you angle is correct, those shots can be beautiful and memorable. Good to impress your facebook buddies. But to visit alone would be a waste, because people would continue to gaze at you like you’re an intruder then. Victoria gardens are especially famous destinations for lovers to enjoy a couple of soothing moments in each others’ company. Also, tourists usually go in groups, or with families. Thus, when I went alone, I was practically being frowned upon by strangers there.

Yeah, Victoria is crowded with lovers

Sipping a cup of hot coffee and enjoying a cake would be ideal after your long journey around the building. :) Food stuffs are quite cheap, and one can find a good bargain in the market nearby. But for starters, I would advise staying away from shopping malls nearby. Villagers and people from small towns are often taken advantage of there.

Multiple improvement projects have been initiated by the government of India to make Victoria even better. I do hope that in the coming years, we would see a much better Victoria, standing proudly as the crown-jewel of the city of Calcutta.